The present invention relates generally to trailer/vehicle alignment systems and, more particularly, to an alignment system that may be utilized with gooseneck trailers with little or no modification to the trailers.
Connecting a gooseneck trailer to a pickup with a quad cab can be quite time consuming and difficult because the location of the hitch cannot be readily seen. The problem of alignment for a gooseneck trailer is perhaps enhanced because the trailer has to be aligned accurately before lowering the hitch connection to the ball joint. As discussed below, the basic problem of making connections to a trailer has been recognized in the past and many attempts have been made to solve the problem. However, for the most part, the trailer hitch alignment systems found in the prior art require significant modification of the trailer. Thus, if it is desired to utilize the alignment system with different trailers, it may be necessary to make numerous modifications and perhaps extensive recalibrations for each trailer. Thus, the prior art devices and methods have numerous drawbacks related to requiring time-consuming installation of the system in a particular trailer as well as the problem of operation if a different trailer is used. Patents related to such attempts include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,650, issued Jan. 30, 2001, to J. Thibodeaux, purportedly discloses a trailer hitch positioning system that provides a visual and an audible indication to a vehicle driver of the position of the trailer ball with respect to the tongue of the trailer. The trailer hitch positioning system includes a pinpoint light source assembly, a light beam sensing array assembly, and a passenger compartment display unit wherein a pinpoint beam from the pinpoint light source assembly strikes and activates light beam sensors within the light beam sensing array assembly, the activations of the light beam sensors being detected by a digital controller within the display unit which then provides a corresponding positional information output to the vehicle driver through a LED display and an audible alerting buzzer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,795, issued Aug. 8, 2000, to Otterbacher et al., purportedly discloses a trailer hitch alignment system which allows a user to align a hitch of a vehicle with a trailer hitch. The inventive device includes a control that is mountable to a visor of the vehicle in view of the driver, a receiver unit attachable to the bumper of the vehicle and in communication with the control unit, a transmitter unit removably attachable to a trailer hitch that transmits a locating signal that is detectable by the receiver unit, and a storage case. Electronic circuitry within the control unit determines the position of the transmitter unit from the receiver unit from the reception of the locating signal. The control unit includes a turn right indicator and a turn left indicator for visually indicating to the user whether to turn left or right while backing toward the conventional trailer. The control unit also includes a buzzer and stop indicator light for indicating to the user when the ball hitch is positioned below the coupler of the trailer hitch. The control unit also includes a display screen that visually indicates the position of the vehicle with respect to the trailer hitch. If the user needs to turn left or right, either the turn left indicator or the turn right indicator will display various levels of lights indicating to the user that they must turn appropriately for proper alignment of the vehicle with the conventional trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,104, issued Nov. 12, 2002, to Wall et al., purportedly discloses a trailer alignment device for backing a tow-vehicle to a trailer. The device utilizes a number of ultrasonic transducers to gauge the location of the tow-vehicle to the trailer. This information is transmitted to a control unit that analyzes such data and creates a visual display for the operator to use in backing the tow-vehicle to the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,122, issued Feb. 10, 1976, to Jack E. Mangus, purportedly discloses a guidance device for the alignment of two separate objects at least one of which is movable with respect to the other such as, towing and towed vehicles, boats with a dock or trucks with loading docks. The device includes a flexible line connectable between desired points on the objects, such as the trailer hitch and the draw bar of the trailer, and means mounted on one of the objects for drawing in the line as the first object moves toward the second. A sensing means detects changes in the alignment of the two objects and an indicating means signals the changes to the operator whereby alignment may be determined and maintained. Additional indicating means may be provided to enable the operator to check the operability of various electrical components on board the vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,494, issued Feb. 5, 1980, to J. W. Jessee, purportedly discloses a device to facilitate the positioning of a towing vehicle with respect to a towed vehicle whereby hitch components on the vehicles are properly positioned for articulately connecting the vehicles. The device includes a flexible tension member having one end connected with a spring wound reel on one of the vehicles and the other end connected with the other of the vehicles. A sensing device is associated with the tension member and the vehicles to indicate to the operator of the towing vehicle the manner in which the towing vehicle should be maneuvered to properly position the hitch components. The sensing means is actuated in response to angular and linear disposition of the flexible tension member which actuates a signal generating means which produces distinguishable audible and visual signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,908, issued Aug. 28, 1990, to J. A. Senner, purportedly discloses a trailer stability monitor for tractor-trailer vehicles including a motion sensor and signal responsive r.f. transmitter responsive thereto mounted on the trailer and a r.f. signal receiver coupled to alarm means and mounted on the tractor, preferably in the cab thereof, for receiving the signal from the transmitter and causing an alarm to warn the operator of the tractor-trailer of conditions conducive to rollover to permit remedial measures to be undertaken to avoid such incident. The motion sensor includes a pair of angular mounted normally open mercury switches arranged to detect lateral forces to the right or left to a degree conducive to rollover. A vertically oriented normally closed mercury inertia switch is connected in series with the pair of angular mounted parallel connected switches to momentarily disable the circuit to prevent spurious signals from bumps. The switch array is connected in series with a battery and a lower power r.f. oscillator transmitter which transmits a coded low power signal when the switch array is closed. The receiver/alarm includes a r.f. receiver which can detect the signal from the transmitter and activate an alarm of sufficient power to alert the operator. The signal can be transmitted air to air via an antenna or by superimposing the signal on a pair of the existing electrical lines of the tractor-trailer, using the lines as a r.f. line carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,619, issued Oct. 26, 1999, to R. L. Wells, purportedly discloses a device for guiding alignment of a trailer hitch with a trailer cup attachment and a towing vehicle attachment. The trailer cup attachment adjustably clips over the trailer cup on the draw bar of the trailer. The trailer cup attachment has at least one vertical rod and an alignment indicator equipped with guide lights and a sound generator to indicate when the ball on the towing vehicle is in hitching position relative to the trailer cup. The towing vehicle attachment has a mounting base for removable temporary mounting on the towing vehicle. Telescoping rods are rotatably mounted in the mounting base. At the end of the telescoping rods is a fluorescent colored activating ball which is positioned directly above the tow ball on the towing vehicle. The alignment guide and activating ball are positioned to be visible to the operator of the towing vehicle through a rear view mirror, rear window, or the like. As the towing vehicle backs toward the trailer, the activating ball and alignment guide provide immediate visual feedback to the operator of the towing vehicle, so that angle and speed of the backing vehicle may be accordingly adjusted. When the activating ball touches the alignment guide, a red light comes on and a sound is generated. This tells the operator of the towing vehicle that the tow ball is in hitching position relative to the trailer cup. The operator may then leave the vehicle and complete the hitching process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,433, issued May 18, 1999, to L. C. Wortham, purportedly discloses a trailer communications system. The system includes a trailer transducer unit for location on a trailer. A vehicle transducer unit can be located on a vehicle or a stationary object. The trailer transducer unit and the vehicle transducer unit may communicate information in the form of acoustic signals broadcast at an ultrasonic frequency in response to a predetermined event.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,814, issued Jan. 19, 1999, to M. Clayton, purportedly discloses a trailer hitch with sensor system for allowing alignment for coupling with a trailer. The inventive device includes a hitch portion secured to a rear portion of a towing vehicle. The hitch portion has an upper ball portion. The upper ball portion has a pair of sensors disposed therein. Each of the sensors is connected to a central wire. The central wire extends interiorly of the vehicle. A trailer tongue extends outwardly from a trailer. The trailer tongue has a ball socket formed within a free end thereof. The ball socket is dimensioned for receiving the upper ball portion of the hitch portion therein. The ball socket has a magnet disposed therein for being sensed by the sensors of the upper ball portion. A display box is positioned interiorly of the vehicle. The display box is in communication with the central wire of the pair of sensors. The display box provides signals related to a proximity of the trailer tongue to the hitch portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,764, issued Jul. 22, 1996, to D. McCullough, purportedly discloses a visual aid for assisting a driver backing up a towing vehicle to a drawn vehicle. A visual display includes a flat screen upon which are depicted images in the form of silhouettes or like simulations of the respective vehicles. This effect is provided by partially and selectively illuminating the screen. A sensor is placed on at least one of the vehicles for detecting relative alignment therebetween and proximity thereof. The sensor generates a signal which controls the screen. The silhouettes are moved on the screen in proportion to the actual relationship of the two vehicles. In a preferred embodiment, the image of the towing vehicle is stationary, and the image of the drawn vehicle moves responsively to input from the sensor. The sensor may employ an emitting coil and an induction coil, or may be of the reflected energy type, such as radar and infrared radiation. The display control preferably comprises a microprocessor. The visual aid has an on-off switch, a proximity readout, and an alarm annunciating the presence of an object interposed between the tow vehicle and the draft vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,328, issued Mar. 2, 1993, to T. L. Nelson, purportedly discloses a trailer hitching aid includes a dual transmitter mounted on the forward end of a trailer or other vehicle to be towed and arranged to transmit pulses of infrared light and pulses of ultrasonic sound. A towing vehicle mounts on its rear end an infrared light detector and a pair of laterally spaced ultrasonic sound detectors. The detectors are incorporated in an electrical circuit which includes a computer the program of which operates to measure the time difference between the detection of a light burst and the detection of sound bursts. The time differences then are utilized to calculate the distance from each detector to the transmitter, and the distances and angles between the detectors and transmitter are displayed on the computer screen as visual indications to direct the operator of the towing vehicle to maneuver the vehicle to back it up and bring the hitch components on the vehicles into coupling registry.
The above cited prior art does not provide a means for aligning a gooseneck trailer with a hitch wherein minor or no changes to the trailer are required. There has been a long felt but unsolved need to provide improved and easily trailer coupling while minimizing or eliminating modifications required for the trailer. Those of skill in the art will greatly appreciate the present invention which addresses the above problems and other problems.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved trailer/vehicle alignment system and method.
Another objective is to provide a trailer/vehicle alignment system and method that requires only minor or no modifications to the trailer.
These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the descriptions given herein, and the appended claims. However, it will be understood that any listed objective and/or other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention are provided only as an aid in understanding aspects of the invention, and are not intended to limit the invention in any way, and therefore do not form a comprehensive or restrictive list of objectives, and/or features, and/or advantages of the invention.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a trailer hitch alignment system for aligning a vehicle with a gooseneck trailer, wherein the gooseneck trailer has a downwardly extending hitch assembly for mating with a hitch ball mounted to the vehicle. The vehicle may typically comprise a cab, a truck bed, and a bed box. The system may comprise one or more elements such as, for instance, one or more transmitters mounted to the vehicle on an inner portion of the bed box at one or more known positions for transmitting energy toward the downwardly extending hitch assembly and/or a first receiver mounted to the vehicle on an inner portion of the bed box in a known position for receiving a first reflected energy signal from the downwardly extending hitch assembly and/or a second receiver mounted to the vehicle on an inner portion of the bed box in a known position for receiving a second reflected energy signal from downwardly extending hitch assembly. Other elements may comprise a timer for determining a time of travel of the energy from the one or more transmitters to the downwardly extending hitch assembly and to the first receiver and the second receiver and/or a processor connected to the timer for determining a relative position of the downwardly extending hitch assembly with respect to a position of the hitch ball from the time of travel. An indicator indicates the relative position of the downwardly extending hitch assembly with respect to a position of the hitch ball.
In one embodiment, the gooseneck trailer(s) is unmodified for use with the system. Thus, the system may be used for different gooseneck trailers. In another embodiment, the system may further comprise a passive energy signal reflector mounted to the downwardly extending hitch assembly. In this case, the passive energy signal reflector may be of a type which passively modifies or modulates the energy applied thereto to thereby produce an identifiable, modified, and/or modulated reflection which may be utilized with a matching receiver sensitive to the particular modification or modulation to thereby increase signal detection in noisy environment.
The one or more transmitters and the first receiver and the second receiver may preferably comprise a first transceiver and a second transceiver and may comprise acoustic transceivers. The first transceiver and the second transceiver may preferably be mounted to an upper portion of the bed box.
The timer and the processor comprise a microprocessor which is programmable so as to be operative for determining the relative position of the downwardly extending hitch assembly with respect to a position of the hitch ball.
The present invention also comprises a method with one or more steps such as, for instance, transmitting one or more acoustic signals in a direction of the downwardly extending hitch assembly, and/or receiving a first reflected signal from the downwardly extending hitch assembly, and/or receiving a second reflected signal from the downwardly extending hitch assembly. Other steps may comprise determining a relative position between the downwardly extending hitch assembly and the hitch ball within the bed box from the steps of receiving the first reflected signal and the second reflected signal. The method may further comprise monitoring changes in the relative position between the downwardly extending hitch assembly and the hitch ball within the bed box while adjusting a relative position of the vehicle with respect to the gooseneck trailer to thereby align the downwardly extending hitch assembly with the hitch ball within the bed box.
The method may further comprise mounting a first acoustic transceiver and a second acoustic transceiver within the bed box at an upper portion thereof and/or utilizing a surface of the downwardly extending hitch assembly to produce the first reflected signal and the second reflected signal.
In one embodiment, the method may further comprise utilizing the surface without modifying the surface. In another embodiment, the method may further comprise mounting an acoustic signal reflector to the downwardly extending hitch.
The step of determining a relative position between the downwardly extending hitch assembly and the hitch ball within the bed box from the steps of receiving the first reflected signal and the second reflected signal may further comprise programming a processor.
In another embodiment, a method for aligning a vehicle with a trailer is provided which may comprise steps such as transmitting one or more signals in a direction of the downwardly extending hitch assembly, passively reflecting a first reflected signal from the target element to a first receiver, passively reflecting a second reflected signal from the target element to a second receiver, utilizing a timer to determine a relative position between the target element and the hitch ball from the first reflected signal and the second reflected signal, and/or monitoring changes in the relative position between the target element and the hitch ball while adjusting a relative position of the vehicle with respect to the gooseneck trailer to thereby align the target element with the hitch ball.